Costa Rica’s emergency services are urging residents and visitors to download the official 911 application before the August 2 Romería, highlighting features that can locate people in real time and allow them to request help without speaking. The Emergencias 9-1-1 CR app connects users with emergency operators through a standard voice call or an interactive text chat. When either option is activated, the application automatically sends the user’s location to the 911 system.
The location feature can be especially useful during the Romería, when hundreds of thousands of pilgrims travel on foot toward the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles in Cartago. Someone suffering an injury, medical problem or security threat may not know the name of the road or community where they are located.
Instead of requiring the caller to describe an unfamiliar location, the application allows emergency operators to receive that information directly from the phone. The location continues to update when a user communicates through the chat. Each new message sends updated location information, allowing operators to follow the person’s movement if they are walking, riding in a vehicle or attempting to leave a dangerous situation.
The chat was designed for emergencies in which speaking could place someone at greater risk. A person facing a threat can write that they need assistance and cannot safely talk. Operators can then continue communicating through text while monitoring the person’s changing location.
Users who choose the voice-call option should speak with the operator whenever possible. When speaking is not possible, authorities recommend keeping the call connected so the operator can listen to what is happening and determine whether the contact was accidental or involves a genuine emergency.
The application also includes a section for reporting events that do not require an immediate emergency response, including planned fumigations and drills that could otherwise generate calls from concerned members of the public. The Emergencias 9-1-1 CR app is available through Google Play and Apple’s App Store. Registration requires a full name, telephone number, email address and password. A verification code is then sent to the registered phone.
Users can complete a profile containing their home address, emergency contacts and relevant medical information. Gerardo García, a spokesperson for Costa Rica’s 911 system, said information stored through the app is confidential and receives the same protection as information provided during an emergency call.
The app currently handles about 40 reports per day, according to the emergency system. Officials hope greater awareness of its location and chat tools will encourage more people to install it before they face an emergency.
Authorities are particularly promoting the app before the Romería because pilgrims may be traveling through crowded or unfamiliar areas, sometimes at night or in changing weather conditions. Having the app in advance could prevent delays when emergency assistance is needed.
